Hinge



Oct. 3, 1939 A F UCKTElG 2,174,986

HINGE Filed June 25, 1957 o 15 INVENTOR. 15 1A! Alba-t1? Iiclifcig' BY Mines.- 9; /32

y v A TTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE to Grand Rapids Brass Company,

Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application June 23, 1937, Serial No. 149,847

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to hinges and more particularly to refrigerator door hinges.

The primary objects of the instant invention are to provide a hinge of the general character above indicated having a stop for governing the normal limit of the opening movement of a door; to provide such a hinge whose stop forms a brake for doors carelessly swung by force beyond their normal limit of opening movement; to provide such a hinge whose stop is movable under tension when the door is carelessly swung by force past its normal limit of opening movement; to provide such a hinge whose stop is designed to minimize chipping or marring of the door surface and the surface of the body on which it is hung by the contact of the surface of the door against the surface of said body; and to provide such a hinge which is attractive in appearance, which may be readily installed, which is efiicient in use and which is reasonably economical in manufacture.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical central sectional view of the hinge and on line I--l of Figure 3;

Figure 2 is a sectional view thereof on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Figure 1 and showing the door swung to its closed position from its open positions shown in Figures 4 and 5;

Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to Figure 3 but showing the door swung to its normal limit of opening movement; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view similar to the view shown in Figure 4 but showing the door carelessly forced beyond its normal limit of opening movement.

Referring then to the drawing wherein like parts of the structure are designated by the same numerals in the several views, the hinge as there shown comprises a U-shaped leaf, generally designated Ill, whose middle portion is adapted to be secured to a door ll of a refrigerator or the like as by screws l2 and a second U-shaped leaf, generally designated l3, whose middle portion is adapted to be secured adjacent a door jamb M of a refrigerator cabinet or the like as by screws IS.

The projecting end portions or ears it of the door leaf II] are disposed between and interjacent the projecting portions or ears I! of the jamb leaf l3 and pintles l8 pivotally secure the ears of the leaves together. The head of each pintle is here shown as provided with a hexago nal shank I9 seated within a hexagonal well of each ear I"! to prevent rotation of the pintle relative to the leaf l3 and each pintle is further provided with a rounded shank portion 20 dis- 5 posed through a bore 21 of each ear l6 permitting a swinging movement of the door I I relative to its jamb M.

A leaf spring 22 is seated at its opposite ends in wells 23 in the inside surfaces of each ear I6 10 and its middle portion is held against lateral movement by lugs 24 struck up on opposite sides of the leaf l0 and substantially medially of its length.

Each pintle is further provided with a cammed 15 portion 25 adjacent its inner end and a swinging movement of the door H from its closed position shown in Figure 3 to its normal limit of opening movement shown in Figure 4 causes the leaf spring 22 to engage the cammed portion 25 of 20 each pintle l8.

Forced movement of the door beyond its normal limit of opening movement shown in Figure 4 to its position shown in Figure 5 compresses the leaf spring 22 as shown in Figure 5 which 25 serves as a brake for a movement of the door beyond its normal limit of movement and minimizes chipping or marring of the door surface and the surface of the cabinet on which the door is hung. 3

A housing 26 for the door leaf It may be provided if desired and the hinge otherwise dressed up. It will thus be seen that the hinge herein shown and described is especially well adapted for use with refrigerator doors and that it is at- 35 tractive in appearance, may be readily and conveniently installed, is efiicient in its intended use and is reasonably economical in manufacture.

While but one specific embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described, it 40 will be understood that certain details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as the same is defined by the following claims. 45

I claim:

1. A hinge having a U-shaped leaf whose middle portion is adapted for installation adjacent a door jamb and a U-shaped leaf whose middle portion is adapted for installation on a door and 50 whose projecting end portions are disposed between the projecting end portions of said jamb leaf, pintles pivotally securing the adjacent projecting end portions of said leaves together and provided with cammed portions, and a spring carried by one of said leaves normally spaced from said pintles and their cammed portions but adapted to be engaged by the cammed portion of each pintle at a predetermined phase in the swinging movement in one direction of one leaf relative to the other leaf and serving as a brake for a forced movement of one leaf beyond the normal limit of its movement in said direction.

2. In a hinge, a U-shaped leaf whose middle portion is adapted for installation adjacent a door jamb, pintles non-rotatably disposed in the projecting end portions of said jamb leaf arid having rounded shank portions and cammed portions, a second U-shaped leaf whose middle portion is adapted for installation on a door and Whose projecting end portions are pivotally mounted on the rounded shank portions of said pintles, and a spring carried by the door leaf having end portions normally spaced from said pintles and their cammed portions but adapted to be engaged by the cammed portions of said pintles at a predetermined phase in the opening swinging movement of the door leaf relative to the jamb leaf and serving as a brake for a forced movement of said door leaf beyond the normal limit of said movement.

3. In a hinge, a U-shaped leaf Whose middle portion is adapted for installation adjacent a door jamb; pintles non-rotatably disposed in the projecting end portions of said jamb leaf and having rounded shank portions and cammed portions, a second U-shaped leaf Whose middle portion is adapted for installation on a door and Whose projecting end portions are pivotally mounted on the rounded shank portions of said pintles and are provided with spring retaining wells therein, and a spring mounted on the door leaf and having springable end portions yieldingly retained in said Wells and normally spaced from said pintles and their cammed portions but adapted to be compressed by the cammed portions of said pintles at a predetermined phase in the opening swinging movement of the door leaf relative to the jamb leaf and serving as a brake for a forced movement of said door leaf beyond the vnormal limit of said movement.

ALBERT F. LICKTEIG. 

